Gray Matter

Comedy events for week of May 9-16

Online videos can be fun to watch, but nothing compares with seeing a film with a live audience. The best five entrants to the Greenflix 60 Second Video Contest will find that out on Sat. Sept. 26 when their films are shown at the Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed.

The competition's theme is man's relationship with nature, which could include plants, trees, or any other non-animal life. This will tie in with the same-night screening of the feature length documentary, The Botany of Desire. The movie explores man's reliance on flowers, fruits, vegetables, and other plants to satisfy our needs.

The winning short films will be judged by four criteria. They have to be entertaining, clearly expressed, popular (web viewers can vote for their faves), and appealing to a live audience. "Judging them by audience applause will be fun," says competition organizer Justin Nathanson of The Cut Company. "We're looking for really simple entries that don't require editing. They could be avant garde. They could involve personal introspection. They could be anything."

Prizes include an HD flipcam and gift certificates from local businesses. To enter, filmmakers must enroll with free social networking site YourCharleston.tv, upload their film, and ask people to view and vote for it. Deadline for entries is Sept. 25. For more information, visit thecutcompany.com.